


Photograph

by aperrywilliams



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Fluff, Monday's fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27481762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aperrywilliams/pseuds/aperrywilliams
Summary: Reader gives Spencer something special on their 6-month anniversary. But apparently Spencer doesn't really appreciate the gift.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Kudos: 42





	Photograph

I thought for many days what to give Spencer for the celebration of our 6 months together. Although we both explicitly said we weren't going to exchange gifts, I still wanted to give him something special.

Several things crossed my mind, from a nice vest, a funny tie, a love letter, a figure of Dr. Who, among other things. But none really convinced me.

One night in his apartment after dinner, Spencer was doing the dishes while I was on a mission to find a classic movie to watch on his DVD player - I still couldn't convince him to sign up for Netflix. As I searched the bookshelf I stopped at the framed photographs that were there. There was a beautiful photo of Spencer's mom when she was young. A photo of Spencer with his mom when he graduated from Cal-tech. And another photo of Spencer with the BAU team. That's when the idea came to my head.

I looked for the best photo of the two of us. It was not easy, because _my dear genius_ is averse to selfies, however, I found a photo that Emily Prentiss, Spencer's co-worker, took one night months ago at David Rossi’ house. In the photograph Spencer shows behind me, hugging me and giving me an intense kiss on the right cheek with his eyes closed, while I laugh looking at the camera. I really like that photograph because we both look happy and in love. A good reflection of what these months have been.

I chose a nice frame for the photograph, I placed it inside, also attaching a card with the message _‘Happy 6 months my favorite genius. I love you infinite’_. I carefully wrapped everything by tying a beautiful red ribbon around it.

To celebrate that day we decided to go out to dinner at our favorite restaurant. It was a wonderful evening. We rarely had time to have a date like this. Between his constant travels around the country hunting criminals and the evening hours in which I did some of my classes, there were entire weeks where we only saw each other for a few hours.

After dinner we went to my place. We were in the middle of needed make-out session on the couch when I remembered the gift. I quickly pulled away from him and got up from the couch heading for my room.

“What's going on (Y/N)?,” a confused Spencer asked. “I did something wrong?”

“Wait for me there. I'll be with you in a second. Close your eyes while, could you do that for me?,” I asked.

“Why…?,” he said hesitantly.

“Spencer, please... just do it,” I insisted again with my head poking out of the room, checking that Spencer did what I asked. Reluctant and scowling, Spencer closed his eyes and waited for my return. I quickly reached his side and put the gift on his lap. “Fine, now you can open your eyes,” I instructed.

“But (Y/N)… _we said we weren't going to exchange gifts_!,” Spencer protested when he saw the wrapped package on his lap.

“I know! But I couldn't help myself. Open it!, please?,” I said in an enthusiastic tone.

Despite his protest, Spencer opened the gift with such enthusiasm as a child at Christmas. I was just as excited as he was, although I was a little afraid if he would really like my gift.

When Spencer saw the frame and its contents his eyes lit up. He took the card and read it aloud, unable to hide the big smile that adorned his face. He returned his eyes to the photograph. There were no words coming out of his mouth which started to panic me.

“You didn't like it… I'm sorry. Maybe I should have thought of something else...,” I trailed off.

“No, no, no... (Y/N)... it's... perfect...”

“Really?”

“Yes!, of course. It's a wonderful photograph... you look amazing here,” he stated.

“You don't look bad either,” I jokingly said.

“Thank you (Y/N). I love you…,”

“I love you too Spencer. These six months with you have been the best of my life. You make me very happy, really,” I confessed.

“You make me happy too. And now I feel bad because I don't have any gift for you,” Spencer told with a pout.

“Uhm… don't worry about it. I'm sure we can think of something, right?,” I said in with a mischievously look.

“Of course. In fact, since you mention it…”. Spencer got up from the couch and he lifted me up in his arms in a bridal style.

“Spencer!, what are you doing?!,” I said giggling noticing his antics.

“ _Reciprocity_ (Y/N)... _reciprocity_ ,” was Spencer's reply as he led me into the bedroom.

In the days that followed, Spencer had several cases out of town and felt like I missed him very much despite we regularly talking on the phones and texting us. The day he returned he asked me if I could buy some groceries and wait for him in the apartment, so we could see each other and having dinner together.

While I was waiting for him, I took some time to tidy the books that were scattered throughout the living room. I knew my genius boyfriend had a lot of books, but seeing them all over the place was something else. It was not an easy task to do.

When I finished I looked at the collection of photographs and saw that they were the same as always: his mother's, he with his mother at graduation, and he with the BAU. I wondered where he had put the one I gave him on our anniversary. At first it was mere curiosity. I went to the bedroom in case she had placed it on one of the nightstands. Neither it was there.

Did he take it to the office? It was a possibility. Then I remembered the weeks before when I had picked him up for lunch and he had no pictures on his desk.

What if he really hadn't liked my gift? What if it wasn't important enough to him to be in his photo collection? It was a stupid and childish thought, I told myself, but I couldn't keep my insecurity from surfacing. More knowing all the effort and love I put into that gift. I really thought it was something he had appreciated. But it was nowhere to be found. Maybe he had kept it in a drawer or forgotten it in a closet. If someone visited his apartment, they might never know of my existence. Except for a toothbrush in the bathroom and a few clothes, there was nothing of me there.

I felt bad. Insignificant. Spencer didn't love me enough and was embarrassed to display a photograph of us in her apartment? Perhaps it was an extreme thought, but the evidence at least indicated that my gift was nowhere to be found. The reason? Only Spencer Reid really knew.

I did not want to make a major fuss about the matter. It was a small thing. But that didn't stop my mood from falling. And Spencer noticed it immediately when he got to the apartment and saw me sitting on his couch fondling an empty coffee mug.

“(Y/N)... I'm here!,” Spencer exclaimed as soon as he passed the threshold. When he saw I didn’t approach to greet him as before, his facial expression immediately changed. “(Y/N)?,” he asked.

“Hey Spencer. How was your flight?”. Too impersonal. I'm lousy at pretending. And he is a very good profiler. Bad combination for me.

“It was fine... is something wrong?,” he asked immediately.

“No. Nothing wrong. Why?”. At least I needed try. Maybe I could go undefeated and he could stop asking.

“No hug? No kiss?... We haven't seen each other in weeks...,” he complained but not because he was mad. He seemed concerned instead.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I had a bad day today”. I lied. I blatantly lied. Simply because I was ashamed to admit the real reason why I was sad.

“Oh I'm sorry. Come here,” he instantly replied.

Spencer sat next to me and opened his arms for me to snuggle up to him. Obviously I couldn't resist. I lost myself in his embrace. I really missed him. Indeed had been weeks without seeing each other.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?,” he told me strocking my hair.

“No, it is not necessary. It's college bullshit. Nothing important,” I assured him.

“Are you sure?”

"Yes. I'm sure. What do you want to eat? We can order something… I didn’t have time to cook anything,” I tried to change the topic.

“Yes, we can order something, don't worry. Are you really okay?”. Spencer insisted.

“Yes. I’m good. Really. I'll call and order something to eat”. I got up from the couch and took my phone to call a delivery.

Dinner was silent. I hardly looked up from my plate. I could feel Spencer's eyes on me every so often. But he said nothing. He was probably wondering what had happened at my job to make me this unhappy.

“Do you want to watch a movie?,” He asked after we finished eating. I nodded, not cheerfully. We sat on the couch and Spencer reached out for me to snuggle up to his side again.

While we were watching the movie, I had not much interest. Spencer remarked on some scenes in his very classic style, but my thoughts were elsewhere. From one moment to the next, Spencer paused the movie and pulled away from me. _Oh oh_. Now he was upset with me, was the first thing I thought. He got up from the couch, but only to sit across from me at the coffee table.

“Okay (Y/N), what’s wrong?, and don’t tell me is a bad day at work because I know how you react when something like that happens,” he said before I could answer.

 _Busted_. Okay. He knows something is out of place with me but he wants to know what is it. I did use the bad day’s excuse and it didn’t work. What else?. _‘I’m sick since yesterday’_?. No, Spencer knows when I’m sick I refuse any kind of food and we diner few time ago. _‘My sister is in trouble’_?. No, that’s require more elaboration and poor Anna, I don’t want to use her as an excuse.

“So?..., it’s me, right?, what did I do?,” Spencer looked nervous and impatient. Poor baby, I’m a bad girlfriend. Obviously he would think it’s her fault. Okay, the truth need come out, for so stupid it be.

“No! Spencer, it’s not your fault. Indeed, it’s me and is stupid you know?”

“If is something that bother you it’s not stupid. You know you can tell me”.

“Yeah… please, promise you won’t get mad or laugh,” I was embarrassed just thinking of saying it.

“I wouldn’t. Really. What’s wrong (Y/N)?”

“It's about the gift I gave you on our anniversary. Today I came to your apartment to clean and I couldn't find it anywhere. And it's not that I have intentionally checked your things, I promise! It's just that I didn't see it among the photographs that you have on the shelf or in your room...”

“Oh ...,” Spencer said thinking about what I was saying.

“Okay, I understand that maybe you didn't like it. And that maybe it's still too early to think about me being there,” I said pointing to the shelf. “I'm sorry, I don't want to be intrusive. I don't want to rush things either. Maybe we it’s not the time to do that kind of thing. I'm sorry...,” I couldn't help the tears that started to fall and roll down my cheeks. Spencer looked at me in horror when he saw me cry, it was like I was hurting him too.

“No, no... (Y/N), don't say that. Of course you have a place here. Don't think such things...,” he hastily said before sitting down next to me again and hugging me.

“It's stupid, I know...,” I babbled with my face in his chest.

“No, no. It's not stupid. Hey, look at me,” he pulled away slightly and with his hand lifted my chin for me to look at him. “It’s not stupid at all, but you don’t have to doubt about what I feel for you. I love you (Y/N). You’re so important to me. These months with you have been the best in my life, I swear to you. Please, don’t ever think you are not important to me because you are…”

“Spencer, I love you too… it’s hard not be around you and not to love you. I’m sorry… but my insecurities take the best of me sometimes…,” I said between sobs.

“It’s okay. There are no reasons to be insecure. I love you, so so much. That’s never going to change,” he stated without hesitation. With his thumbs dried the tears that stuck in my cheeks. He cupped my cheeks with his hands and leaned down to kiss me. Was a sweet and long kiss, that made me forgot all my insecurities and doubts. This man in front of me is the best thing that happened to me in my life and he loves me.

“I love you," I mumbled when we parted. He smiled.

“Me too. And... about your question in the beginning...,” he started to talk. I shook my head.

“Spencer, no. Forget it. It's doesn't matter... really...,” I tried to convince him. I still felt bad for asking that question in the first place.

“Of course it matters. It matters to you so it matter to me as well. Okay, like I was saying, there is a reason because our picture isn't there in the shelf,” he explained standing from his spot on the couch and heading to the rack where his satchel was. I looked at him with confusion.

“You didn't like it. I get it... it's not...,” he smirked pulling off a book from his satchel and coming back to the couch.

“No baby, on the contrary,” he handed me the book. It was one of his favorites, _'The Narrative of John Smith'_. I took the book on my hands. “Open it,” he asked me. I did and it opened in the back cover revealing our picture. The one I gifted him. I looked at him dumbfounded.

“This is... our...,” I stuttered.

“Yep,” he replied.

“But I thought you didn't like it...”

“How couldn't I not like it?, is the best gift you gave me. And well, I didn't put it in the shelve because I wanted something special. Here is the thing, although we can't always be together, at least I wanted something that reminds me of you when I'm away. And this is perfect because it reminds me of you and how happy I am with you,” he stated with the perfect lovesick stare that I saw in my life.

I thought of many ways to react to this revelation. And although I couldn't help the tears of happiness, I didn't know what else to do. I thought about running to the bathroom to hide how flushed I was. I thought about covering my face and unleashing my happy tears. What did I finally do? What my heart said was the right thing to do: I threw myself into the arms of the man I love madly and who had just confessed how important I am in his life. Spencer hugged me tightly laughing at my reaction and catching my lips with his.

“Spencer, I love you. I never thought you were going to do something like that. Forgive me for doubting you and your feelings,” I apologized.

“Okay. I also have a responsibility in this, I didn't think this gift was as important to you as it has been to me from the moment you gave it to me. Will you forgive me?,” he asked with an adorable pout.

“I have nothing to forgive you, don't be silly. I'm so happy now. I have been since I've been with you,” I said snuggling against his body.

“I'm happy with you too. I love you,” he declared, kissing the top of my head. “Now, could you give me a copy of this photo to frame it and put it on the shelf?”. We both started laughing.

“Of course I can do that”.


End file.
